Choosing a marine conservation holiday

With research projects, land-based projects and some that involve diving, marine conservation holidays differ quite considerably. Read on for expert advice from our suppliers, so you're in the know when it comes to choosing a marine conservation holiday that ticks all the right boxes for you.

How to choose a marine conservation holiday

From the Maldives to Mexico, Canada to Costa Rica, the locations that host marine conservation holidays are as diverse as the work you'll do on them, so it's essential that you have an idea of the trip that you want and are clear on the kind of work that each trip involves before signing up

On the land or in the water?

All projects will accept that you are giving up your free time and that you want to make a valid contribution to their initiative, but how you make that contribution depends mainly upon whether you want to work under the water, or outside of it. First, ask yourself if you’re a diver, and if you’re not then ask yourself if diving is something that you’ve always wanted to do.

If you’re already a diver, do you want to build on that that skill and use it to do something that will really benefit the environment? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then it’s likely marine conservation in the water – helping out with reef protection work, collecting data, fish ID sessions and surveys – is the right holiday for you. These trips largely involve early morning starts, up to three dives a day and lectures, presentations and talks in the evening.

Research, research and research again

The accommodation, level of involvement with the local community and amount of time you’ll spend working throughout the day or night varies greatly with each different trip, so the most important thing you can do when choosing a marine conservation holiday is research as much as you can. Speak to your tour operator in detail and find out what the aims of the project are and what activities you will be doing on a daily basis, but also what they’ve already achieved, so you can get an idea of what past volunteers have helped to make happen. It’s also a good idea to ask where the data is going – is it being fed into local marine fisheries departments, or being used in collaboration with local or international universities? You want to ensure that your time, money and energy is being made the most of and that the initiative is making progress in a conservation area that you feel passionate about.

Finding a marine conservation trip that matches both your own interests and your skill level is as important as your enthusiasm and commitment while you’re there – match the holiday to your own expectations and not only will you learn and achieve loads, but you’ll also have lots of fun with a group of like minded people while doing it.

Expert advice from our suppliers

Anne Smellie, from our supplier, Oyster Worldwide, shares her advice on how to choose a marine conservation holiday: "If you are looking to do a project, you need to go with a company or organisation that thoroughly briefs you on all aspects of the trip, so that your expectations are managed and correct from the outset. If that doesn’t happen you could think you’re booking something completely different to what it actually isn’t and you’ll arrive disillusioned and unhappy, plus the project won’t be happy with you because you will have turned up with all of the wrong expectations. It’s the tour company’s responsibility to make sure you’re prepared, so it’s essential to ask as many questions as you like and find out why the conservation is happening and what sort of things you’ll be doing to support the work."

More about Marine conservation

Let us take you underwater with our marine conservation travel guide, discovering whether dipping your toe into marine conservation is the right kind of holiday for you and learning a little more about what this kind of trip entails.

Aside from taking the chance to explore your underwater world, marine conservation activities will also take you above the ocean wave with time to get out and about, as you live alongside the locals, just as important as what lies beneath.

Marine conservation holidays in Timor-Leste revolve around the island of Ataúro, whose waters are packed with a diverse collection of fish and other marine life, all flitting around some of the best corals the planet has to offer.

More relevant guides

Volunteering abroad used to be a long term commitment for a highly qualified few. Today, opportunities have opened up for people of all skill levels, in virtually every country in the world. Habitat conservation, marine research, wildlife rehabilitation and community development are just some of the options available - for a few days, or a few months.